Disturber of the Peace
by Farahilde
Summary: In the Shire, Bilba Baggins was a Disturber of the Peace. Elsewhere, she was known as an official messenger of the esteemed White Council and the sixth eagle rider: a rarity in a world of horse and dragon riders. She had a knack for stirring up trouble while on the job, and her latest trip to the northern kingdoms of Erebor, Dale, and Esgaroth was no exception. Fem!Bilbo, AU.
1. Disturber of the Peace

_A/N: Well, heeeeello there! This fic was inspired by the amazing "Of Dwobbits, Dragons, and Dwarves" by ISeeFire on Archive of Our Own. I really love the idea of a genderbent Bilbo, and I imagine her to be quite the spunky lady. _

_ Tell me what you think! :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<br>****Disturber of the Peace**

In Arda, there were three types of riders.

There were horse riders: sturdy, all-around, commonplace, but entirely respectable.

Then, there were dragon riders: noble, individually chosen by their drakes, considerably less in number, and _very_ respectable.

Finally, there were eagle riders: practically a myth, and_ very, very _respectable.

The number of eagle riders could be counted in one hand for there had been only five recorded riders in the history of Arda. Now, the reason for this scarcity was the eagles themselves. Unlike the horses and dragons, who spread themselves throughout the land, the eagles were few in number and chose to make their home in the far west, on cliffs that overlooked the remains of the forgotten country of Beleriand. The eagles were difficult to get to, and they were even more difficult to tame because of their noble pride and mistrust of other races.

Anyone who gained the respect of an eagle was considered great, and they truly had been: kings, queens, heroes and wizards of old. That was why the sixth rider to emerge from the annals of time surprised everyone so: a little hobbit, one of the peaceful Shirefolk. Her name was Bilba Baggins, daughter of Bungo and Belladonna.

But Bilba was a little different from her kin on the Baggins side. Since childhood, she'd always been more a Took, managing to explore nearly every nook and cranny of her hometown, Hobbiton. She constantly fancied herself going on a rip-roaring adventure battling trolls, goblins and dark lords. For a while, she even told her parents she wanted to pursue dragon riding as a career (to their horror, no less).

Even when Bungo and Belladonna passed after the Fell Winter and their daughter was granted leave by the Thain to stay at Bag End despite being underaged, Bilba never truly lost her sense of curiosity and love for adventure. In one way or another, she was always stirring up a little trouble wherever she went. To the residents of Hobbiton, she was unofficially a Disturber of the Peace.

Then, one day, as she took a shortcut through the fields on her way home from a visit to Bree, supply-filled backpack hoisted on her tiny shoulders, she stumbled upon an injured, bloodied animal and its beyond frightened chick. The animal was huge - only a third of the size of a firedrake but huge nonetheless - and covered in feathers that appeared coarse and menacing, but were soft to the touch. Its chick, a chubby thing the size of her head, was far smaller and uninjured, but it was covered in dirt like its parent.

Bilba's doe eyes widened when she recalled an identical sketch of the creatures in one of her father's history books.

_Eagles!_

And one of them was barely breathing.

The hobbit started and rushed to its aid. No time for dazed gawking now.

She didn't know how much she could help with her medical kit, but she would most certainly try. For the next day, she dared not move the larger eagle from its place, tending to its wounds right there in the field. Nothing she tried worked. She had to look for help, but she didn't know who to go to. The hot topic in Bree nowadays was eagle hunting or taming, so that town was certainly off-limits. Also, there weren't any hobbit settlements for the next whole day's trek, so by the time she returned with any healer who was willing to help (and given the nature of the Shirefolk, that would be a miracle), the eagle would have probably died of its wounds already.

And so it was that Bilba was sitting there with her face in her hands when a deep, female voice spoke to her. It took a while to realize that it was the larger eagle and she was given quite the fright. With softened eyes, the eagle thanked her most kindly and relayed her story with the last of her strength. One day, as she was traveling between nests alone with her chick, she was targeted and shot by a dragon-riding party seeking to capture them, and they were chased here to Eriador, just managing to avoid the scoundrels because of the Rangers who appeared at the borders of the Shire.

"I don't have much time now," the eagle said. With difficulty, she craned her neck towards the chick, who had warmed up to Bilba and was now sitting in the hobbit's lap, young eyes bursting with imaginary tears. "He likes you. Would you be so kind as to take care of him, at least until he's old enough to fly back on his own?"

Not wanting to disappoint a dying eagle, Bilba readily agreed. Satisfied with the hobbit's words, the large eagle sighed contentedly and laid down her head. A few moments later, her life gave out, and she was still.

Bilba was trying to hold back tears (she had to be strong for the little one, she told herself) when a tall man wearing a black cloak rode up. He was a Ranger by the looks of it; she'd caught glimpses of a few on her travels, though this was the first time she would speak to one.

The Ranger informed her that he'd been looking for the eagles for a few days now. He'd been one of the group who'd caught the hunters. He'd watched the final exchange between the hobbit and the eagle, and to Bilba's surprise, vowed to keep watch over her and the chick if she would raise it to adulthood. Then, it would choose whether or not to fly home or stay with her.

For the next three years, Bilba raised the chick in the quiet safety of Hobbiton, _officially _being labeled a Disturber of the Peace in the process. She didn't mind, though, because the eagle (who told her his name was Cielth when he learned how to talk) became her closest friend. To accomodate his increasing size, they moved out of Bag End (entrusting it to her cousin, Drogo) and settled in a large smial a few more minutes out. During this time, the Ranger continued to patrol the borders of Hobbiton and would pop in for a visit from time to time to check up on how she and Cielth were faring.

Then came the year both Bilba and Cielth reached adulthood. The brown feathered eagle was large now, almost as large as his mother had been. Bilba had no doubts he would choose to fly back home to the west for he'd wondered about his kin several times, but he chose to stay with her instead in the end. Bilba was his closest friend and practically surrogate mother.

He would not leave her.

And it was at this moment that Bilba Baggins of Hobbiton became the eleventy-first hobbit to ride any sort of mount,the first to ride an eagle, and the sixth eagle rider in the history of Arda.

News traveled fast, and soon Bilba was receiving letters and gifts from very important people. She was baffled at how she'd managed to make acquaintances of at least five monarchs or lords. It was all in writing, however, until a _very important person _arrived at her doorstep unannounced one fine July morning.

He introduced himself as Gandalf the Grey, and Bilba's eyebrows nearly shot up into her mass of curly, tan hair for he was a member of the White Council, the exclusive and esteemed alliance of the world's _most important people_. They were the elite of the elite. This eagle riding business must be a really big thing if someone like him had come for a visit, she thought.

Over a spot of tea and a bit of seed cake, Gandalf expressed the purpose of his sudden visit.

Bilba and Cielth were becoming known across the lands of Arda, and it wouldn't be long until even the patrolling Rangers would find it difficult to protect them from unsavory characters who would seek to use them for nefarious ends. So, he was here this morning with an invitation to relocate to the elven city of Rivendell, the meeting place of the White Council, where she would receive the best protection.

The hobbit was reluctant, however. She didn't want to be used for nefarious ends, but she didn't like the idea of being all but imprisoned either, even if the place of imprisonment was a city of fabled beauty.

Gandalf was ready. Here, he struck out with a second proposal. If she wouldn't agree to protection in Rivendell, she could at least make it her home base, and she would be free to come and go as she liked. By doing this, she would be openly associated with the White Council, and villains would think twice before messing with one of the council's allies.

Bilba was almost ready to agree, but had one last argument to bring up.

"I can't _freeload_, Gandalf!" she cried. "I'll need to do something, find a job, you know. Freeloading doesn't sit well with me in the least. I'm sorry."

"My dear, who said you would be living there for free?" the wizard said with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "We had planned to give you a job as a cook (we all know how good you hobbits are at cooking). I see that you are more inclined towards my second proposal, however, and we have just the job for that."

A messenger, the wizard had said.

Eagles were smaller than dragons but possessed sharper sight and hearing, and were made for faster, streamlined flight. Bilba would be the perfect choice for such a task. Messages between council members and their allies would move faster, and that was just what they needed right now.

She could travel the world and see places she'd only dreamed about!

That did it.

Bilba agreed.

Several weeks later, the hobbit had entrusted her smial to her Took cousins with a warning to 'beware Lobelia Sackville-Baggins,' and had packed up all the things she wanted to take with her, which weren't many, actually.

After one last look at her and Cielth's home of four years, filled to the brim with happy memories, the pair set out towards the city of Rivendell in the east, towards a new life, a life Bilba hoped would be chock-full of adventures.

And that it was.

The hobbit's knack for attracting trouble had never disappeared, and where Bilba was, you could be sure trouble would follow.

* * *

><p>"Gandalf."<p>

The grey wizard looked up from his reading on the sunbathed terrace, two years after Bilba and Cielth had left the Shire. In the arched doorway, Lord Elrond of Rivendell, his host, stood fixed with a slight frown.

"My friend, is something the matter?" Gandalf asked, rising to his feet to greet the tall elf.

"I do not deem it wise to ask the halfling to wait for you and Círdan in Dale."

Earlier that day, Bilba and Cielth had been sent to inform the Kings Bard and Thorin of the two council members' arrival in a week's time by way of dragon. Gandalf and the sea-elf, Círdan, were to investigate reports of poisoned waters upon the Long Lake. In advance, Bilba was also asked to deliver a package containing three devices made by the sea-elves, which would hopefully stop the poison permeation in the settlements' water wells.

"And why ever not? This request for aid is a particularly troubling one. We need Bilba there to be ready to send a message to Rivendell at utmost haste should the need arise. She is the fastest of our messengers, after all."

"Her curious, adventurous nature is why. She never fails to cause some sort of disturbance in the places we send her to," Elrond stated, joining Gandalf at the balcony and allowing his frown to deepen.

"Oh, come now, they are harmless and most amusing," Gandalf chuckled, earning a raised brow from the elf. "And she has always managed to solve the problem..."

"For now, yes, but it's only a matter of time before she gets in too deep in one of these disturbances of hers, don't you think?"

The wizard hummed. "She is our most troublesome yet trustworthy messenger to date. She has earned my trust, and I trust that she has the ability to get herself out of whatever she gets herself into."

"With what?"

Gandalf beamed. "With a bit of tact and respect, and no small degree of charm. In her own curious way, of course."

Elrond sighed and rubbed the space between his eyes in exasperation. The truth was he felt the same way the wizard did, but he was just worried. The hobbit was an endearing creature, and times were growing darker by the day. He was worried that one day, her resourcefulness and training in the ways of the Rangers wouldn't be able to get her out of a sticky situation. Still, hobbits were resilient creatures that never ceased to amaze. There was something to that.

"I certainly hope so..."

* * *

><p>The chilling wind rushed past her ears as they broke through the clouds.<p>

"Cielth! Cielth, oh my goodness. Would you look at that?" a particularly jubilant hobbit gushed as a beautiful, shining lake came into view, reflecting the late afternoon skies streaked with clouds of pink, purple and orange. She could see lights dotting a portion of the shore on the opposite side. In the distance, standing still and solitary, was a single, dark mountain that stood out above the rest around it.

The sight took her breath away. "The Long Lake..."

"Yes, yes, it looks just like the three other lakes with sunsets we've had the pleasure of seeing these past few months," the eagle replied.

"Hmph! You're no fun."

Bilba could've sworn the eagle was smirking. Without warning, he jerked his great bulk downwards and launched into a swift, bulletlike descent to the town upon the lake, leaving Bilba to hang on to the harnesses for dear life.

It was all just to get back at her.

No one called an eagle 'no fun.'

If one had been listening from the sleepy town down below, they'd hear a shrill scream of promised death followed by a stream of uncontrollable laughter.

Bilba Baggins, Disturber of the Peace, had arrived.


	2. An Early Morning Meeting

**Chapter 2**  
><strong>An Early Morning Meeting<strong>

Night had just fallen in the city of Dale. The market, bustling with life in the daytime, had just started to wind down as Bain, son of King Bard, was seen running through it like a madman and expertly weaving through the crowd like a master thief.

Bain paid no heed to the people's stares and continued running. His destination: the large brick mansion at top of the hill. In no time at all, he reached the iron front gate and stood there catching his breath for a moment before leaping up the stone steps.

Two chestnut-haired girls stared at him in surprise as he crashed through the unlocked front door and looked wildly about.

"Where's Da!?" he yelled.

"In the study..." the younger girl replied, cautious eyes training the young man as he bounded up the spiral stairwell at the far end of their kitchen.

Moments later, Bain skidded to a stop in front of a heavy oak door at the end of the second floor hallway. He then proceeded to wrench it open with a huff and nearly tumbled inside.

"Whoa, there," said a dark-haired man who was reading through a stack of parchment paper. "What's the hurry?"

"Da, there's an eagle heading this way!" Bain cried, unmoving from his spot in the doorway.

King Bard stilled.

Being one of the in the know individuals of northeastern Rhovanion, his thoughts immediately turned to the rumored new messenger of the White Council of Arda: the eagle rider, Baggins. If that were true...

The king launched himself out of his armchair and was out the door seconds later, leaving his son to blink in astonishment. When Bain came to, his father was already at the top of the stairwell.

The two girls in the kitchen downstairs were again left to gawk as another one of their family members raced across the room, this time on his way out of the house.

"Da?" the older said, moving to follow after putting down the knife she'd been using to chop up a bunch of green vegetables.

Bain and the younger girl joined her as they watched their father stand in the middle of the yard, eyes glued to the horizon. Sure enough, a large form could be seen approaching. It was near enough to be discerned as something in the shape of great avian. Atop its back was a small form: its rider.

"So it _is_ him," the king muttered just loud enough for his children to hear. "Our request has been answered!"

"About the water poisoning?" the younger girl asked. She and her siblings had now joined the man in the front yard.

"Yes, Tilda," Bard replied, jubilant. "We must send word to Thorin and the Master at once."

"I'll inform Old Billy!" Bain said. He rushed out the gate and headed for the home of the local messenger down the street.

His son ran faster than normal, Bard noted, perhaps due to a desire to lay eyes on a real eagle and its rider. Everyone could say they'd seen a horse or dragon and their riders, but the same could not be said when it came to eagles. There were only two to three riders _per Age_, and here was one coming right at them. Bard too had admired eagles and eagle riders as a boy, so a part of him was as giddy as his son was.

But all they could do now was stand and wait.

"Who's 'him', Da?" the older girl, Sigrid, queried.

Bard broke into a grin. "The eagle rider."

There was a period of excited yet tense anticipation as the eagle neared. Bard's thoughts eventually strayed to what tidings the messenger would bring them from the west. He began a routine of opening and closing his palms. Was it good news, or bad news? Would the Council extend its aid, or refuse to have anything to do with them?

He sincerely hoped it was good news.

* * *

><p>It was just him.<p>

Him and a platter of scrumptious roast beef.

Nothing could be better than this.

Suddenly, he was heaved downwards in the familiar feeling of a fall. A dull pain followed, and Kili, Prince of Erebor, found himself sprawled on the cold stone floor of The Lonely Mountain.

Familiar, solid laughter resounded from somewhere behind him. Kili surged to his feet and whirled on the source. He was already aware of who it was: his older brother, Fili.

The said dwarf stood there with his arms crossed in front of him, revelling in a bout of loud laughter.

"That never gets old!" he remarked.

"This better be a summons for dinner or I'll kill you for parting me from my roast beef," the younger of the pair warned, sending death glares as he stomped around the bed to stand in front of the blond.

At this, Fili stopped and stared. Then, he broke into another fit of laughter, causing Kili to pink.

Once the older dwarf had regained his composure and was left to wipe away tears that threatened to fall from his blue eyes, he said, "Oh, this is _much, much _better than a dinner summons, brother."

What could be better than a dinner summons?

"Let's hear it then."

Fili twitched as if he were fighting to control a girlish squeal from escaping his stocky frame. Kili was convinced that his brother was. "The White Council's messenger has arrived in Dale."

Finally!

But why was Fili as excited as a dwarfling on his birthday over that?

"So?" the younger prince said.

"He isn't riding a horse or dragon, Kili!"

"So...what? He _walked _from Rivendell?"

"No, you dunderhead! Think!"

Alright. If he didn't walk and if he didn't come by way of horse or dragon, then how else could he have gotten here?

Oh.

OH.

Kili's expression was a replica of his brother's as he gushed in a half whisper, "An eagle!?"

Fili's nod caused the younger's face to light up even more, and his mouth formed a very round 'O.'

"An eagle, Fili!? I hope you're not pulling my leg here!"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Now, come on! We've got an eagle to see!"

"Sneaking out of the mountain and skipping after-dinner training with Dwalin?" Kili said with a smirk.

"Won't be the first time."

"...I like it! Lead the way, brother!"

* * *

><p>Not ten minutes later, a great <em>whoosh<em> rushed past Bard's ears, accompanied by an even greater whirlwind. The people in the streets of the vicinity of his home had to hang on for dear life (or their groceries) as a brown feathered beast descended to the king's front yard.

Bain had returned, and was protectively holding onto his sisters, especially Tilda who was fighting not to be blown backwards by the wind. Bard, however, stood his ground in front of them.

For a moment, he allowed himself to be floored by the bird's sleek majesty, its brilliant feathers illuminated by the torches and moonlight. It was simply nothing like he'd ever seen before. Then, his attention moved to the petite figure in the leather saddle.

Petite figure?

Apparently, Sigrid had made the same observation for she mumbled an astonished, "The eagle rider is a child!?"

Bard bit back his own comment. The rider's long, honey colored hair (tied into a neat high ponytail) and her clean face with its delicate curves also signified their gender.

A young girl, he decided.

The man could only watch in silence as the eagle ceased the beating of its large wings and allowed its rider to swing her legs out to dismount. She performed the action in one swift motion, and began straightening nonexistent skirts (an old habit, he learned later on).

Then, her eyes met his dark orbs, and in that moment, Bard the Bowman, King of Dale, realized that she was no child.

"What is she?" Tilda muttered, openly staring at the rider's pointed ears and large hairy feet.

"Tilda!" Bain reproached, horrified at his daughter's rude behavor. Tilda inched back in reply.

"Oh, it's perfectly alright, sir. You get used to these sorts of questions after a while," the rider said, all but nearly causing the family a heart attack, for she'd somehow crossed the distance between them and her eagle without the sound of a single footstep.

Straightening her plum jacket, she continued, "I am a hobbit, if you must know. Bilba Baggins, at your service!"

The four bowed in return and gave similar introductions of their own.

"I come bearing a message from the White Council," the hobbit began right there in the front yard.

By now, a small crowd had formed outside the mansion's gate.

All craned their necks to see the great, fabled eagle perched on King Bard's steps and its tiny rider. Most couldn't believe it. They'd have expected a gallant man or elegant elf first before this...unknown creature. But no matter. She was a rarity and oddity all her own, even without her eagle.

Her words brought them back to attention in a snap. All ears were on her as she relayed the news.

"The Lords Gandalf the Grey and Círdan the Shipwright will be arriving in a week's time. Until then, they ask that you install these in your water wells."

Bilba reached into her leather pack and brought out a package wrapped in elven silk. It was slightly larger than her head. Bard took the package without a word and opened it, gazing in bewilderment at the three odd devices he found inside. They were ivory white and wrought in the shape of a picture frame. In their centers were strange meshes of foreign material. They reminded him of the inside of a beehive, but the pockets were far, far smaller.

"Filters," the hobbit supplied when he looked up at her. "Designed by Lord Círdan himself. He hopes they'll do until he can properly inspect the problem. The other two are for Esgaroth and Erebor, sir."

Bard nodded and thanked the young woman. Then, he extended an offer of board and lodging at their mansion, which she accepted most graciously. Her eagle, which had been silently observing the conversation, was also offered board and lodging of his own in their dragon pen in the backyard.

"I will go to the main well now to attach the filter. We'll get the others to their intended destinations at first light," Bard smiled. "Would you like to come along, Lady Baggins?"

"Just Bilba, please. And yes, I'd love to!"

* * *

><p>"This crowd is <em>huge<em>!" Kili exclaimed as he tried to shove his way through the mighty gathering of men and dwarves that surrounded King Bard's front yard.

He could see the silhouette of the eagle perfectly fine from their place at the back of the crowd, but it was too dark, and they were too far to discern its features. Catching a glimpse of the rider was even harder. Their back was turned to him and the only thing he could tell was he or she was just slightly taller than Bard's youngest daughter.

"It's no use, Kili," Fili sighed. "There are just too many people."

After a pregnant pause, the blond's eyes suddenly twinkled. "What do you say we wait for this crowd to disperse, then come back to get a better look?"

Kili broke into a knowing grin. "Agreed."

* * *

><p>It was well past midnight now.<p>

"Here, Bilba. For your eagle," Sigrid said, handing the hobbit a large bowl of raw, deboned fish. Bilba had earlier informed the young woman of Cielth's favorite dish, and she'd rushed to prepare it right away.

"Thank you, Sigrid," Bilba nodded, taking the ceramic bowl in her arms. She headed out to the dragon pen where Cielth was currently supposed to be resting.

As she crossed the newly cut lawn and listened to the cicadas, Bilba thought of what had happened at the main well. In terms of installing the filter, everything had gone without a hitch. Bard had said they'd see how everything would go. The water poisoning was getting increasingly worse by the day, after all, and they didn't know if Círdan's inventions would even work against it.

According to Bard, the poisoning problem had started almost a month ago in Esgaroth, and had slowly spread to Dale and Erebor soon after. They'd scowered the Long Lake several times in search of the source of the problem, but each search turned up with nothing. The same went for inspections of nearby bodies of water. Of course, their scholars suspected that the source lay under the water, and no one had the ability to see that far down into the deeper areas.

That's why they turned to the White Council for help.

The hobbit fought back a yawn and was pondering on the possible sources of the poison when her train of thought was rudely derailed by the sight of two figures, one blond and one brunette, standing in front of Cielth.

Dwarves, by the looks of it.

"Amazing! Don't you think so, Fili?" one of them gushed.

"I wonder if these feathers offer the same protection as dragon scales!" the other said in reply.

Bilba stood stock-still as she watched the dwarves chat animatedly with her eagle. They hovered around him, excited, and occasionally shared a hearty laugh.

Was the eagle preening under their attention?

Bilba's face contorted into a deadly combination of an arched brow and a skeptical frown that even Elrond would be proud of.

Carefully, she inched closer until she was right behind the dwarves. Cielth saw her approach. More specifically, the approach of the bowl in her arms.

"Food, at last!" the eagle said in relief, causing the dwarves to stop in their tracks.

Simultaneously, they turned around to face her. At first, their faces were sheepish at being caught in someone else's backyard uninvited, but those expressions were instantly replaced with grins that seemed to reach their ears.

The brunette clapped her on her back. Bilba coughed and tried not to stumble under the force of it. "Good evening, eagle rider! Or should I say 'good morning?'" he greeted.

"Terribly sorry to come in uninvited," the blond added with absolutely no remorse. His eyes followed the hobbit as she dumped the bowl of fish in front of the eagle, who wasted no time in bending down to feast. "We were just curious about you and your eagle. Not everyday we see one of you visiting these parts, after all!"

The dwarves suddenly bowed.

"Fili,"

"And Kili,"

"At your service!" they chorused at the end of it.

"Hum...Bilba Baggins, at yours and your families'."

Kili immediately launched into a new topic.

"We were expecting a man or elf with an air of haughty majesty about him, but here we find a tiny girl!"

"In fact, what are you, anyway, if I may ask?" the blond queried.

Bilba's unconscious Elrond impersonation flashed across her features once again. "Well, master dwarves, I am a hobbit, and mind you, I am a full grown woman of my race."

The dwarves shared a look and smiled broadly, processing the information.

"Well, that is amazing, Miss Baggins!" they chimed.

Bilba took this time to scrutinize the dwarves. Given their uncreased, exuberant faces and short beards (with one having nothing more than stubble), they were probably just fresh out of their coming-of-age year, or somewhere close to that. Their slight facial similarities connoted their being siblings, too.

She didn't sense any killing intent from them, so she surmised that they were just simply here to fawn over Cielth. Which wouldn't do the eagle any good. His ego was large enough already.

And she was getting sleepy.

Why were these two so energetic at this time of the day, anyway?

"Yes, well, couldn't this have waited till midmorning? Some of us want to go to bed," the hobbit said with a huff.

"Oh, yes, yes, where are our manners? We'll let you go, of course, if you promise to meet us at the edge of town midmorning later today!"

Bilba blanched. "What ever for?"

"You have _got_ to let us have a ride on Cielth!" Kili begged, directing a pleading expression and puppy eyes at Bilba, who was sadly unaffected.

"Please?" Fili added with a similar expression.

Bilba's eyes flitted between the two of them, then to Cielth who'd been silently eating.

"Not at the same time," the eagle said, and returned to his fishy feast.

The dwarves cheered.

Bilba let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, alright. I don't have much to do while waiting, anyway. I would've liked to go exploring, though."

"We'll show you around the area then, as thanks. Let us be your personal tour guides. We know these lands like the back of our hands!" Kili remarked.

The hobbit wasn't sure if that was a good idea. These two were just too hyperactive. And they were too in sync. Still, the thought of having knowledgeable tour guides to show her around was a tempting idea.

"Alright, alright. Midmorning, edge of Dale," she agreed.

"Don't be late!" Fili said.

Bebother and confusticate these dwarves.

* * *

><p>Unknown to the hobbit and the inhabitants of northeastern Rhovanion, something glowed a sickly shade of emerald in the depths of the Long Lake's dark waters.<p>

Its previously faint light began pulsating brighter and brighter. A crack suddenly appeared on its tough outer shell, and a gnarled something slowly snaked out.

It was stirring.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hi, everyone! School starts again tomorrow, so I wanted to update before the chaos starts. Also, I've finished plotting the whole story, and I'm happy to announce that there will be 18 chapters!_


	3. Midmorning Flights

**Chapter 3**  
><strong>Midmorning Flights<strong>

"Whoa, careful!" Bilba cried in her saddle as Cielth took a sharp turn to the right. "I almost dropped my breakfast!"

The hobbit fumbled with the wrapped bread from Sigrid and Tilda in her hands. It was with sheer luck that she caught her water flask before it rolled out of her pack and started a free fall to the rocky ground below.

"Sorry, Bilba. Spotted the dwarves on those boulders down there," came the eagle's low, rumbling voice.

Bilba looked forward, forcing herself to squint because of the midmorning sun in her eyes. True enough, a pair of stocky, dwarf-like shapes were seated atop a giant boulder several hundred meters off. One was smoking a pipe while the other reclined lazily next to him.

The dwarves jumped to their feet once the hobbit and eagle entered their lines of vision. Excitedly, they scrambled off their boulder and jogged to meet the other pair as they made a swift landing.

"Well, good morning to you, Bilba!" the older dwarf stated.

Bilba, ever mindful of her manners, bade them a good morning in reply.

"We thought we'd be late, actually. Kili here refused to wake up and kept mumbling about cakes," Fili continued, not at all flinching when his younger brother punched him in the arm. "I had to give him a great shove off his bed again!"

Bilba cracked a smile but her eyes remained questioning. _Again?_

"Mister Dwalin was waiting for us when we returned home last night and put us through an hour of training as punishment. Quite exhausting, really, when all you want to do is get some sleep. You'll forgive me for sleeping like a log and dreaming about things I like," Kili said, flashing a smile.

"He'll be furious when he finds out we skipped morning lessons as well," Fili added, though he didn't look worried in the least.

Mister Dwalin sounded very menacing to the hobbit, so much so that she resolved to never get on his bad side if she got the chance to meet him. As she branched off into what she would possibly say to him in greeting, she continued to munch on the sweet bread in her hands. A few moments later, she noticed the brothers looking at her with expectant expressions.

A blush rose to her cheeks. "Oh, um, we should- we should get started, then, so your sacrifices won't be in vain-"

The brothers' smiles grew wider with amusement, causing Bilba's blush to deepen. She decided to just stop speaking and motion to Cielth.

"Cielth says he can only take two at a time. I'll leave it to you to decide who goes first."

Fili and Kili shared a look, both appraising the other. Bilba observed their seemingly mental exchange in fascination. They must be very close if they had the ability to do that, she thought.

"I'll go first," Fili declared. "I'm the older one."

"Safe flight then. I'll be here, waiting and feasting," Kili said, parking himself on a flat grey rock at his feet and fishing a football-sized bundle from his satchel. His breakfast, Bilba presumed.

She glanced back at Fili to find him in front of Cielth, eyeing the eagle's great back and verbally wondering about how he was to get himself into the saddle.

"There's not much difference to how you'd ride a dragon or a horse. Have you ridden any before?" Bilba questioned, coming up like a mouse beside the dwarf.

Fili flinched at her sudden appearance at his side, though he tried to hide it. "Yes; my own dragon, Gilrod."

The hobbit whistled and looked impressed, for despite the dragons being more common a sight than eagles, they only chose riders of great strength, courage or wealth. "I think my opinion of you has changed for the better...slightly," she said.

The dwarf fixed her with a puzzled expression. "And your previous opinion wasn't good already?"

"Not in the least!" she grinned. "Trespassing on other people's grounds in the dead of night, harrassing a hungry eagle, and keeping a hobbit from her well-earned sleep can hardly produce a positive opinion."

"We weren't _harrassing_-" Fili began, but was cut off when Bilba extended her hand towards him from where she was now sitting on the leather saddle. She'd climbed up as she'd been laying out his and Kili's apparent transgressions against her, Cielth and Bard.

"Like a dragon or a horse," she repeated.

The prince sighed and shook his head, once again amused by the tiny woman. Wordlessly, he grasped the hobbit's hand and put his booted foot through the stirrup at Cielth's side. Then, he grabbed the great black strap that circled the eagle's body, pushed all his weight upward and swung himself up into the saddle.

It wasn't that difficult, after all.

"Hold on!" Bilba said as Cielth gave a mighty flap of his wings and lurched upwards.

Fili instinctively wrapped his arms around Bilba's waist. His eyes drifted to Kili sitting on the rocks below. His brother was waving at them as they rose higher and higher into the sky. Soon, Kili was a small speck on the hillside, and the eagle started off in the direction of the Lonely Mountain.

* * *

><p>Bilba didn't plan on going very far: just around that large mountain, perhaps. A voice in her head told her that that was Erebor, one of the strongest dwarf kingdoms still in existence, and she wasted no time in voicing this to Fili as they neared its gargantuan gates.<p>

"Indeed, lady hobbit," the dwarf replied, pride laced in his tone. "That is Erebor, or the Lonely Mountain, as some like to call it. It has remained great because of my uncle, Thorin Oakenshield. A little lacking on the social side, I'd say, but a great king nonetheless."

The hobbit listened intently and nodded at his words until the mention of 'Thorin Oakenshield' and 'king.' She turned her head to glance at the dwarf behind her. "Are you saying you're a _prince_!?"

"Aye, and so is Kili!"

No wonder he spoke of having a dragon.

Bilba managed a simple 'oh,' and focused her attention back on the terrain ahead. There was an awkward silence between the two. Fili was worried the information would cause Bilba to distance herself from them. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"I thought all members of royalty were going to be sticks in the mud, based on the ones I've met." she said over the rushing wind. "Guess I was wrong!"

"Are you comparing us to _elves_?" the other retorted, feigning offense. He didn't like being compared to elves, but his glee at being in the air riding an eagle, did away with any disgust he might have felt.

Bilba giggled, images of the said members of royalty crossing her mind. "Not just elves. All races."

Soon, Cielth had circled the great mountain, and they found themselves heading back towards the hillside where they'd left Kili to enjoy his breakfast. The ride had taken a little less than an hour, but in that short amount of time, the easy conversation between the riders had Bilba deciding that Fili would probably turn out to be a very good friend.

And that he would be, till the end of her days.

* * *

><p>"Did you three go to the Iron Hills and back now?" Kili questioned in a jovial tone as Cielth landed next to the boulder formation for the second time that day. He'd been growing impatient while waiting, and the thought of riding an eagle didn't help that at all.<p>

The younger dwarf ran up to Fili and Bilba. The messenger was about to retort, but Kili suddenly launched into a flurry of questions for his brother, who was the only one to dismount.

"How did it go? Was it different from riding Gilrod? How far did you reach?" - and many other questions in a span of less than ten seconds.

Fili just laughed at Kili's eagerness and held up both hands. "Find out yourself! It's your turn, Kili."

Kili looked at Bilba, who looked to Cielth. "Ready for another run, Cielth?"

"Whenever you are," the eagle replied. He was still young and strong, so he could fly great distances for a long period of time before feeling the first beats of exhaustion.

"Great!" Kili exclaimed. "C'mon then, eagle rider!"

He'd seen how Fili had lifted himself onto the eagle's back earlier. With hardly any effort at all, the younger was able to mimic the procedure perfectly.

"Don't give Bilba any trouble with your energy now," Fili said.

Kili smiled in return. "I'll try, but I can't promise anything!"

Bilba scrunched up her nose at that. This prince was turning out to be a bit too cheeky for her.

"Off we go," she said and tapped Cielth on the neck.

The eagle responded to the order, and gave another mighty flap of his wings.

"Tell me about how you became an eagle rider," Kili said suddenly halfway to the Long Lake.

Bilba allowed herself a few seconds to collect her thoughts. The topic was among those she was asked to talk about lengthily to those she trusted, so it didn't take her long to formulate an answer this time around. It was a short one, because frankly, she was getting tired of talking about it.

"I found Cielth and his injured mother in the fields of the Shire one day. After she died, he was entrusted to me, and when he was old enough to choose, he stayed."

"How did they end up in the Shire? I thought eagles lived in the west, even farther than the Blue Mountains!"

"Hunters," Bilba grimaced. The thought always made her blood boil. She hadn't seen hair nor hide of those hunters since she'd found the eagles, but she had a feeling that they were still out there somewhere, prowling in the shadows. What she didn't know was whether they were still aiming for the eagle eyries in the west or not.

Then Kili asked if he could the try holding the saddle's handles.

Probably an attempt to lighten the mood, she thought.

"I want to be pretend to be an eagle rider," Kili chuckled.

Since Cielth didn't need to be directed with reigns, Bilba was perfectly fine with the idea of the dwarf holding the two steel handles, which were mostly for the rider's support.

So she let him, but realized one tiny detail too late.

She was sandwiched inbetween.

Kili's arms entered Bilba's line of vision and snaked around on either side of her. He also leaned forward to get a better grip on the handles, causing Bilba to unwillingly press up closer to his firm chest. Sure enough, the contact and proximity caused the well-mannered hobbit to pink. She'd never been this close to a male except her father, when he'd read her bedtime stories as a child.

Not knowing how to carry herself now, Bilba found herself frozen, and the tensing didn't escape Kili's keen senses.

Smirking, he leaned foward even more and whispered in her right ear, "You alright there, Bilba?"

The dwarf let out a hearty guffaw when the messenger jerked violently to the left. She would have probably fallen off the eagle had his arm not been in her way. Bilba grumbled about confusticating dwarves while Kili apologized (not very sincerely) inbetween laughs.

"Could you not do that, Kili?" Bilba muttered when Kili's guffaws had died to small gurgles.

"Oh, I don't think so. You're much too fun to tease, lady hobbit! But seeing the severity of your reaction, I'll refrain from doing so while we're in the air next time."

This caused Bilba to grumble under her breath and blush even more. Kili found that strangely endearing.

It was then that his thoughts strayed to 'being in the air.' He took note of how they were well over the middle of the Long Lake. Esgaroth was far behind them: a mass of huddled houses, boats and barges on the shore. Cielth was certainly flying fast, but it seemed like he was only cruising, because Kili knew that Gilrod could fly at a similar speed, too.

So he decided to tease the avian a little.

"I wonder if eagles can fly as fast they say in the stories," the prince said, hoping Cielth would hear him above the wind.

Bilba made to interrupt him. "Um, Kili, I don't think you should be saying those kinds of things out- LOUUUD!"

The riders were thrown backwards as Cielth lurched forward. He flew faster and faster till the land and mountains were nearly a blur. They could almost see the trails of wind he was kicking up in his supersonic flight.

Kili had never felt so alive, so in tune with the world, than here in the skies flying at breakneck speeds on the back of a great avian of the west.

"I must admit!" he managed to cry out somewhere along the way. "Eagles _are_ as fast as they say they are!"

Satisfied with the concession, Cielth slowed down to allow the riders to catch their breaths.

Kili, being unused to the eagle's top speed, found his head spinning and the wind knocked out of him, though he tried to hide this behind his laughter. Bilba, on the other hand, looked unaffected despite her curls being splayed all over her head and face.

They were on the other side of the lake now, on the side of the Greenwood and the Woodland Realm.

"You might think of warning us the next time you plan on doing that, you cheeky eagle!" the woman chastised, although she was anything but angry at the moment. She loved flying fast, and was horribly used to Cielth's sudden kamikaze lurches.

The avian merely ignored the rebuke and could be heard chuckling.

"Let's go for another one on our way back," Kili said, thoroughly enjoying how this ride was going.

Now, Cielth's playfulness had taken Bilba's mind away from the fact that Kili was still gripping the steel handles. Her eyes flitted back to his gloved hands. How much longer could she stand this?

She was just about to request for them to return to their original position when she caught sight of an oddity on the outer fringes of the lake.

There was a monster of a tree branch sticking out of the dark water.

This in itself wasn't a strange thing for the messenger. On her travels, she'd seen trees so large that their roots grew even beyond the confines of the pools or ponds that encircled them. In this case, however, there was no tree to be found, and the body of water was a lake.

It was just a single, gnarled root covered in moss.

"Is that normal in these parts, Kili?" Bilba asked the dwarf whilst pointing at the root.

Kili stared at the thing for a long while before replying. "Never seen anything like it."

"Maybe we should take a look," the hobbit suggested, unabe to contain her natural curiosity.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," Cielth said, a sense of foreboding rising in his gut. It was too odd. Too_ out of place_. "I think we should tell Bard about this."

Now it was Kili's turn. "We will, but first, let's get a little closer."

Two out of three. It was a majority vote. Cielth sighed and began circling downwards, keeping his eye on the root and its surrounding area for any signs of movement. If anything happened, he thought, he _did_ warn them.

And then it struck.

Bilba was conversing about the root with Kili when she heard a deafening crack. Cielth gave a squawk and jerked to the right seconds later. A dark blur surged upwards in the spot where they'd just been. Had the eagle's reflexes been a tad bit slower, they would have been impaled by its unnaturally sharp tip.

"W-what in Mahal's name!?" Kili spluttered as Cielth was forced to take a dive towards the shore in order to avoid the blur yet again. "It's _alive_!"

Cielth turned sharply just a few feet above the water, kicking up a great spray of water as he went, and began hurtling away across the water in a straight line.

Never in her thirty-eight years had she seen a tree root coming alive and_ aiming itself at them_,but she knew Arda was a very strange world filled with strange things. She had seen its rock giants, goblin band, and leathery-skinned creatures called Oliphants, to name a few. This notion helped her overcome the initial shock quickly. Shaking off the last traces of disbelief, she focused her attention on just getting away.

"Tell me about it!" Bilba yelled, shooing Kili's hands away from the handles so she could take hold. In response, Kili wrapped his arms around her waist in order to avoid falling into the water.

With her heart threatening to jump out of her chest, she chanced a glance behind them, hoping that the root would back down if they left it alone.

It didn't.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I've decided to set up a regular update for every weekend! :D_


	4. Monsters of the Lake

**Chapter 4**  
><strong>Monsters of the Lake<strong>

Cielth soared above the waters as fast as his great feathered wings would take him. Bilba and Kili thought they'd finally outrun the maddened root, but they were in for quite the surprise.

It had a sibling.

In their path, a second root, just as thick, wild and writhing, shot up out of the lake without warning. Cielth's fast reflexes and quick wits helped him take an abrupt turn to the left in an attempt to avoid the dangerous wall of a root, but just when he thought it would only take a few quick maneuvers to get away, he realized that the first root had made its way to its brother.

"Great, now there are two of them," Bilba grumbled as the roots prepared for a joint attack. Both lashed out at the eagle, who rose and fell, twisted and turned in mid-air through their wooden clutches.

"We can't leave these things running amok!" Kili cried, realizing that the monsters (which very might well have been attached to something even bigger) might eventually find their way to Lake-town and beyond.

"And how do you suppose _we _kill them off, master dwarf?" said Bilba, incredulous in tone.

Cielth took another sharp turn upwards, and the roots followed, kicking up torrents of water and foam in their wake. The riders held on for dear life. While Bilba focused on trying to get the eagle to pick up the pace, Kili chanced a look at the roots behind him, and marveled at something that gleamed in the sunlight.

A throbbing, glowing muscle-like underlayer of angry red, exposed by a breach in the tough outer bark.

That's what Kili thought at first, but a longer look helped him see its gem-like glaze. It wasn't muscle, it was a jewel. Kili never knew what possessed him to think so, but in that moment, he had a hunch that that was the root's point of weakness.

The wheels in his head started turning, and he wasted no time in voicing his idea.

"I see a weak spot!" he exclaimed, reaching for his bow and an arrow. "There, on the left root!"

Bilba looked back and searched for the said area. After a moment, she saw caught sight of it, too.

"I can hit it!" the dwarf continued when the hobbit said nothing in reply. If there was one thing he was proud of, it was his unparalleled archery skills (in Erebor, at least). "Cielth, can you fly a little closer?"

"Are you mad, dwarf?" the eagle shot back, keeping true to his straight flight path - away from danger.

"I said I can hit it. Trust me! We can't let these reach the settlements!"

The eagle was silent, but Bilba fixed the dwarf with a look that was as equally determined as his.

"Been a while since I've had some fun," she said, earning a grin from the prince. "You heard him, Cielth! Into the fray with you!"

Cielth was a proud eagle. He regarded himself equal to his rider and as far as he was concerned, he had enough weight in a decision as she did. Now, however, he was outnumbered two to one, and he saw the ghastly logic in Kili's words. So with an angry call, he wheeled around and headed straight back to the writhing monsters.

"Make it quick!" he cried.

The roots mounted another vicious attack on their approaching target. Their tips plunged into the waters when they missed the mark (which was often, thanks to their largeness and Cielth's agility), but rose out of the depths in the blink of an eye to give it another go.

By now, gallons and gallons of lakewater had been kicked up, and the people of Lake-town were alerted by the eerie creaking and the crashes of tall waves on the far banks.

Cielth pressed on towards the spot Bilba had pointed out. When he was near enough for a clear shot, Kili nocked an arrow and pulled on the taught bowstring. He waited patiently for the right time, then loosed the arrow.

It missed.

Cursing under his breath, Kili quickly let another arrow fly.

This time, the other root blocked its path.

"I thought you said you were good," Bilba managed to laugh out through the mess, not knowing that one of the best ways to get a dwarf to do something correctly was to taunt him.

In response, Kili narrowed his eyes and nocked a third arrow. The desire to prove himself consumed him.

He took a deep breath and began blocking out all outside chaos, concentrating solely on the throbbing jewel jutting out of the bark. Cielth made another downward jerk, and nearly dove beakfirst into a wall of foam, but Kili was undeterred in his concentration despite all the jostle.

Suddenly, the moment came, and he knew that it might not come again.

The prince let the arrow fly. The steel shaft soared through the waterlogged air, and promptly lodged itself into the dent in the root's armor.

Bullseye.

With a deafening crack, the jewel shattered into pieces.

The root continued to writhe, using up the last of its energy, until it stopped and moved no more. Its sibling followed suit, probably attached to the same energy source as well.

Cielth circled the dead monsters from above while his riders caught their breaths. All three watched in silence as the roots crumpled into their watery grave.

"Could that have been the source of the water poisoning?" the hobbit wondered aloud when her adrenaline had gone down.

"Can't be certain, but I reckon it was," her companion replied. The poisoning, and the appearance of the monstrous roots had occurred too close to one another in the grand timeline of things. There _had _to be a connection.

Bilba, however, was oblivious to the dreadful possibilities Kili was coming up with regarding the problem. She felt good. If it had been the source, then they'd managed to take it out! Gandalf and Cirdan would be so pleased.

After a time, it occurred to the hobbit that they needed to tell someone important about this, but first, they had another dwarven prince to pick up along the way.

* * *

><p>They reached the hills of Dale in half an hour.<p>

Fili was sitting smoking his pipe and almost dozing off in the shade of the boulders when Cielth touched down a few meters away. The dwarven prince looked up just in time to see Bilba and Kili nearly catapult themselves off the eagle and start barreling in his direction. He grew concerned when he spotted their pale faces that looked as if they'd seen the Dark Lord Sauron heading this way.

"What's got you two so upset?" the blond asked when they met halfway.

The two were deathly silent and refused to talk, but Fili could see them forming coherent words in their heads. At the same time, they broke into a long stream of words that went on and on, hardly pausing for breath. Fili had to ask them to shut up and speak one at a time, starting with Bilba, then Kili.

The older prince stared unmoving as they relayed their experience at the Long Lake, from when they spotted the root to how it had been slain. When they finished, their mouths clamped shut again. Then it was Bilba and Kili's turn to stare as Fili narrowed his eyes in deep thought. Both felt their rekindled adrenaline dissipate slowly and be replaced with anxiety over Fili's reaction.

Would he even believe them?

"So...let me get this straight: two giant tree roots suddenly came to life and chased you around the lake. Then, you killed them when Kili saw a gem in the outer layer and hit it," Fili said after what seemed like eons. "And the remains are still lying there under the waters."

The hobbit and younger dwarf nodded rapidly. "Yes!"

"I know it sounds far-fetched, Fili, but you need to believe us!" Kili pleaded.

Fili looked between them both several times.

Then he declared, "Alright. We need to tell Uncle. Now."

* * *

><p>Since meetings between rulers were usually held in the grand council rooms of the dwarven kingdom of Erebor, they had decided that it would be faster to go straight to Thorin Oakenshield, its ruler. The trio had flew to him in haste after the encounter at the lake. It wasn't long before they were ushered into the king's large private study in the upper halls of Erebor.<p>

Bilba had taken the cantankerous king's attitude in stride. She had met more than a few members of nobility who were much worse. Anyway, Kili did most of the talking then.

Thorin was skeptical at first and asked questions often. Still, he trusted that his nephews wouldn't make up stories when it wasn't the time for such things. The White Council's messenger was also with them. How they'd made acquaintance, he had no idea, and he made a mental note to ask about it later on.

Thorin wasted no time in calling a meeting between rulers. Messengers were sent to Dale and Esgaroth right away, and returned bearing messages that their recipients would arrive at Erebor that evening. This time, the presences of the princes and the hobbit were requested as well.

And that was how not even a day later, Bilba found herself in a huge chair within the depths of Erebor. To her left sat Fili and Kili, and around the rest of the stone table sat the Lake-town Master, King Bard, King Thorin and their advisers.

Bard and the Master were wondering about the cause for the meeting rather loudly, the Master a little more certain than the former. The plump man hadn't been deaf to the alarming noises coming from across the lake that morning, and he suspected that they had something to do with today's council.

Soon, Thorin rose from his great stone chair, earning the undivided attention of the room's occupants. He began his opening remarks and continued on in a long, beating around the bush sort of manner, speaking of the water poisoning dilemma.

Bilba, quite unaccustomed to the dwarf's manner of speech, sighed often and played with the hem of her jacket to pass the time. She found her thoughts wandering to her days with Cielth in the Shire. Those were days filled with peace. Sometimes she found herself wishing for those days again, but ultimately decided that her life now was where she was meant to be, and what she was meant to be doing.

Then Kili's right hand placed itself atop her left, firm and supportive.

Bilba started in her chair. The brunette was looking at her with wide eyes. It was then that the hobbit realized that Thorin had finished speaking and the room had gone silent. Looking across the table, she found that all eyes were on her, appraising her hobbit-ness with varying degrees of wonder, curiosity or disbelief (except for the princes, of course).

"They want to hear about what happened at the lake," Kili whispered. "You first."

"Ah- um- yes, of course, of course," Bilba spluttered, hastily rising from her chair and clearing her throat. But where to start?

The beginning would do nicely, she decided.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Trying to move things along at a good pace!_

_I'm thinking of changing this to a Fili x Bilba story, since I'm liking Fili more these days. That'd motivate me to write faster and better, I think, but what do you guys say about the pairing change? _

_Please tell me what you think. :)_


	5. Discussions, Dragons, and Darkness

_A/N: Thanks for all the follows, favorites, kudos and/or reviews! I'm glad that a lot of people have been enjoying this little fic so far. :)_

_As to the pairing switch dilemma, I've decided that I will stick to Kili x Bilba! Thanks for all the feedback on that, too. I've come to like Kili a little more after rewatching AUJ and reading an essay about the Durins. I'm sure I can finish this story with the pairing and still have fun writing it._

_So without further ado, here's Chapter 5! Ta da!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>**  
><strong>

**Discussions, Dragons, and Darkness**

Being a messenger, Bilba was good at saying things.

She knew how to get her point across, and how to tie everything up with a neat bow. Today was no different. Despite her shaky start because of her daydreaming, the hobbit managed to relay the story of the past day as clearly as she could, although she shared more than she should have.

At the mention of Fili and Kili stealing into Bard's dragon pens, the princes' heads whirled in her direction, and their horrified expressions earned a mighty glower from King Thorin. He turned to Bard and in hushed tones apologized for his nephews' actions, though the king of Dale merely waved his hand and chuckled. No harm done.

Dwalin, on the other hand, now knew where the princes had snuck off to when they skipped last night's training. He wouldn't let them off as easily as Bard did. The large tattooed dwarf continued to glare at Thorin's nephews (and they looked anywhere but at him in return). His gaze was only broken when Bilba reached the part about the lake.

The mood grew darker when she recounted how the monstrous roots suddenly came to life and lashed out at them, only stopping when Kili managed to hit a jewel on one of the roots' bark.

Some of the council from Dale and Erebor eyed the hobbit, skeptical thoughts running through their mind, but these were put to rest when the Master and his advisers confirmed the account with their own.

"No doubt this is related to the poison," said a wiry-haired man from Lake-town. "Perhaps there is a creature slumbering at the bottom of the lake."

"And _they_ woke it up!" another cried, jabbing a stocky finger at Bilba and Kili, whose eyes widened in shock at the accusation. While Kili felt a weight fall to his stomach, Bilba tightened her jaw.

"What's done is done," said Bard, trying to calm the attendees. "All we can do now is react to this creature, if it is such."

"What's taking those White Council members so long, anyway? Do they not care for what becomes of us at all?" the Master muttered. "Perhaps they're taking their sweet time feasting at all the inns along the way."

Bilba bristled. "Sir, they're doing all that they can to get to you sooner, but they have their hands full dealing with the skirmishes in the south. Unavoidable business is unavoidable business. Now, I think we should heed King Bard's words and do what we can."

The Master raised his head, looking at Bilba down his oily nose. She had a point, of course. The overly ambitious Lord Sauron of Mordor had somehow made allies of Khand, Harad and western Rhûn. If the alliances of the West, led by the White Council, didn't tread carefully, a world war could start. But the annoying hobbit was right. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

A grey-haired dwarf with a leather eyepatch over his left eye leaned forward. "I agree with the hobbit. We must focus on the problems at our doorstep for now. What good will we be if war is upon us and we are all ill or dying?"

"I have some good news about that matter," said another elderly dwarf on Thorin's left. He was Balin, head of Thorin's advisers. "Reports say they're working marvellously. The filtered water is very much like how it was before the poisoning started."

"'Very much like'?" Thorin mumbled. "Does that mean that whatever is contaminating it has been completely removed?"

"Aye, that's what it seems."

The grim mood enveloping the council lifted immediately. Thoughts as to whether Gandalf and Cirdan would still be needed were voiced, only to be shot down by the more intelligent members, who stated that purging the source completely would be a far better solution.

Bilba, all but forgotten in the cacophony of voices, leaned back in her chair and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was quickly growing exhausted, and now wished for nothing more than the comfortable bed Bard and his family had loaned to her, with its fluffy cotton pillows and warm blankets that smelled of soap and lavender.

A hand gently shaking her shoulder brought her back from her daydreaming again, and she was faced with the concerned Durin princes. She almost laughed at how their expressions were practically identical.

Before any of the two could inquire about her health, Thorin spoke up.

"We must put up patrols to keep constant watch of the shores," he declared.

Bard nodded his consent. "If there are more of those roots out there, then we cannot allow them to reach the towns."

Bilba immediately extended an offer to help out with the patrols. Who knows if and when they'd need the eyesight and agility of an eagle. Her offer was gladly accepted by the leaders, and when the discussion led to patrol schedules, Bilba couldn't help but tune out a third time, only listening to any mention of her name or titles.

It wasn't until twenty minutes later that the snoozing hobbit was again shaken awake by her newfound friends. Looking around, she noticed the rulers and advisers on their feet, leaving the chamber or mingling.

"Meeting's over," Kili smiled.

"What time is it?" Bilba questioned, still in a state of half sleep.

"Almost dinner," the other prince answered. "Care to join us, milady?"

Quite used to their playful banter by then, Bilba let the title slide and focused on the invitation. "Don't mind if I do," she said, only realizing how little she'd eaten since the event at the lake. Her stomach felt like it'd implode on itself within the hour!

"After which, might we invite you on a little tour of the mountain?" the blond continued, smiling even wider.

Bilba hummed in reply as the threesome followed the crowd of council members to the dining hall. She was tired, but the thought of exploring a new place always woke her up instantly. It occured to Bilba that she could just come back when she was rested, but when it came to exploring, she preferred sooner than later.

"I suppose I'll take you up on that offer, too," she told the princes with a twinkle in her eye.

* * *

><p>The trio, returning from dinner and their Erebor tour, entered the mountain's massive dragon pens, happily chatting.<p>

The sight of the bejeweled walls and the cavern's sparkling emerald ceiling, which rose far higher than she'd like to think, silenced the hobbit completely. Lining the walls were rows and rows of dragon pens. Some were occupied, while others were empty. Those that did house a dragon were of the most interest to Bilba, for Erebor's dragons were reportedly the most majestic of the whole lot in Arda.

Whereas Gondor's dragons were mostly of a dull, dark shade, or Rohan's were as lean and gaunt as their horses, the scales of the dragons of Erebor were in bright jewel colors or the deepest black, and their forms were hardy and healthy.

Bilba stood rooted to the spot, opening and closing her mouth like a guppy.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Fili chuckled. "The pride and joy of Erebor. Well, after our workmanship, that is."

Bilba could only nod.

Suddenly, raised voices from farther in reached their ears, and all three turned towards their general direction.

"What's that?" Bilba wondered, furrowing her brow.

Her confusion multipled when the princes shared a knowing look and smirked in return.

"An old bickering couple," they said in unison.

The messenger trotted along wooden bridges and winding stone pathways, following after the princes who led her towards the voices. At first, they were just muffled yells. Then, when the trio neared a golden pen far larger than the rest, Bilba managed to decipher the angry admonishings and quick insults being thrown about.

"I forbade you!" a dark-haired dwarf cried at the foot of a ruby red dragon which was glaring down at the dwarf with its raging yellow eyes. "And now I hear you ate three of a farmer's sheep _whole_!?"

"He will not lose his industry with the disappearance of three sheep from his great flock," the dragon hissed.

"But it may certainly make him lose his trust in our trade relations!"

The dragon was larger and far more menacing than all the others in the cave, but the dwarf stood tall and unflinching. It was only after Bilba noticed his royal blue robes and raven crown that she realized it was King Thorin.

"Shouldn't we, you know, help him?" the hobbit asked, worried that the dragon would open its terrible maw and rend the dwarf to shreds.

Fili and Kili didn't budge, nor did their smirks.

"No need," Kili finally said. "This happens often."

"Seems like uncle found out about Smaug's sneaking out for a hunt last week," Fili chuckled. "Though I didn't think he'd target the domesticated lot."

"Smaug will be cross with us," his brother said.

"His fault. We warned him we'd do what we could, but uncle's a smart one."

Bilba watched as the king under the mountain and his dragon continued to throw insults and heated words at one another. Soon, she felt another headache coming along. The adrenaline and excitement from the mountain tour was finally wearing off.

She just wanted to get some rest now.

"An 'old bickering couple,' huh?" she mumbled.

"Well, yes, not in the romantic sort of way, but in a master and his noble steed sort of way," Kili replied with a bright grin.

Bilba just stared at the prince. She must have been really exhausted because he wasn't making sense at all.

"But there's no dwarf and dragon in Erebor with a greater bond and trust than those two," Fili said.

The blond motioned to a stair on the other end of the platform. "Now c'mon, Cielth's this way."

Bilba found Cielth huddled in a group with several dragons. All seemed to be lost in deep and intelligent conversation about the happenings of the world beyond the mountain's walls.

The trio strode up to the group and stopped when its members turned to look at them. Immediately, the dragons stooped their heads, greeting the princes, and when Bilba announced that it was time for her and Cielth to head back to Dale, they chorused a stream of objections.

"Fair lady, he was just about to tell us of the new equipment the sea-elf dragons are currently enjoying," a polite violet dragon whined.

"You're just gossiping like haughty dwarrowdams again," Kili stated, and the dragons grumbled in return. Erebor's dragons were proud and refused to be of lesser reputation than their cousins in other lands. Most of them always pined to be at the top of the ladder.

"Well, I am tired, and I want to sleep," Bilba said. That was a good enough reason to part the new friends from one another for the moment.

"Another time, then," Cielth told the dragons. "She's worse than the Witch-king in a fit when she's cranky."

Bilba grimaced while the princes laughed and the dragons drew back in mock-fear. If she had been less drowsy, she'd spit out a retort, but right now she just didn't have the strength. After being dragged around the mountain on a tour and being introduced to many more dwarves with similar sounding names (was it Nori, Ori, Dori? Oin, Gloin?), she could feel her knees threatening to buckle soon.

Gingerly, she swung up into her saddle and leaned into the eagle. Today had been a tiring one.

Cielth began maneuvering himself towards the opening of the cave when the brothers jogged up.

"Thanks for today," Kili said.

Bilba raised a brow in disbelief.

"Really! Despite that little run-in at the lake, we had lots of fun, didn't we, Fili?"

"Aye," Fili agreed.

Were these two always so carefree and laid-back?

"Let's meet up and join Fili's patrol tomorrow. What do you say?" said Kili.

Although Thorin had assigned Fili and Gilrod a shift, Bilba had been given leave to join at any time she saw fit. Kili, on the other hand, hadn't formed a pact with a dragon yet, so he was free to patrol the shores on foot. That is, unless he managed to secure a ride, which in this case was either his brother or the hobbit.

Bilba quickly agreed. The Durin princes were growing on her, and she considered both to be _almost-friends_. Besides, she was set on keeping a close eye on the lake in the coming days. Why not spend that time with them?

After finalizing the place and time to meet, Cielth was off soaring into the chilling night air. The messenger kept her eyes shut during the short trip to Bard's home. Sleep was lurking just around the corner. It took Cielth jerking her off the saddle and sending her tumbling to the soft grass of Bard's lawn to get her to budge.

* * *

><p>It was three hours after midnight, and the settlements about the Long Lake were fast asleep.<p>

Urging his dragon to land as silently as she could, the stocky creature glanced about the silent moonlit landscape, ultimately dragging his sight to the cold lake. His brows were knitted together and his face was covered in a thin sheet of nervous sweat.

When his dragon settled on the grass by the lake, he jumped off and tottered over to the edge of the water. At first, he searched with his hazel eye, watching out for a faint glimmer or glow beneath the surface. As the seconds drew on, he could find no sign, and a lump rose in his throat. The panic in the back of his mind stepped forward and coursed through his small frame.

"No, no, it can't be gone," he breathed, launching himself towards the water.

Now, he decided to wade. He stepped into the freezing water and walked forward until it reached his knees, then squinted and looked again for a long time. His legs screamed and threatened to suffer from hypothermia, but it was mind over matter right now. With a huff, he continued scowering.

Images of what could happen flashed through his mind, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about how throwing it into the lake had been the most idiotic thing he'd done in his life. How he wished he could turn back time.

Suddenly, a desparate cry erupted from the woods behind him. There came the sounds of scuffling, a struggle, and other creatures. Unearthly hisses of a race he hadn't laid eyes on for many years reached his ears.

A moment later, his dragon was pulled from her hiding place in the trees, thick ropes slung across her neck and upper frame. Flanking her on all sides were four mottled creatures in ruddy armor and leather, eyes flashing with venom and looking as if they'd just returned from the world of the dead.

But he knew what they were.

Orcs.

And hunters, too, by the looks of their twisted weapons, bows, and traps.

"What do you want?" he demanded, drawing himself up to his full height and laying a hand on the pommels of the two swords strapped to his waist. He wouldn't cower at the sight of these abominations. Never.

One of the four stepped forward and regarded him with a look of measurement and the traces of a sneer.

"A simple trade," it said.

He didn't reply. Trade with orcs was never simple.

"We've heard about you, your status, your foothold around these parts," the other began, gesturing by glancing around the area. Then, its eyes snapped back to his one-eyed face. "And most recently, your little blunder with a certain item that's got the black market in a joyous uproar. No use looking for it anymore; already been taken deeper by the waves and currents!"

He paled, but tried to continue standing ramrod straight. It was foolish to show any weakness to these vile creatures. "What's your game, orc? Let's hear it!"

The leader broke into a wolfish grin, and its subordinates started snickering behind him.

"P'raps we could...offer our help," it said, and held out three small crystal bottles filled with a sticky blue liquid. "The pesticide. Just pour this into the lake and it'll do the rest of the work."

"We'll let your dragon off unscathed and uneaten, too!" a shorter orc cackled, and his two colleagues joined in, but they were quickly silenced by a glare from their leader.

He knew about the pesticide. It was as difficult to come by as the things it could kill. In fact, he hadn't seen it around the local black market for over two years. So to have _three_ vials waved in front of his face, you could be sure he was willing to take the deal, but he had to tread carefully.

"And your side of the bargain?"

The ends of the orc leader's mouth traveled further up his pocked face. "We're looking for a certain eagle...and its rider."

That was all it needed to say for him to understand.

_Hunting, more likely_, he thought with a scoff.

The hobbit lass and her eagle seemed nice and honest, but his kingdom, his dragon, and his peace of mind were at stake.

To him, they were a tenfold more important.

"Deal."


End file.
